Danang, Vietnam

Celebrated international architect-designer Bill Bensley spent six years blending contemporary architectural concepts with traditional Vietnamese touches to create this much-anticipated seaside retreat, which opened in June 2012. Rooms range from spacious standards to multi-room villas and are tucked amid jungle foliage on a hillside overlooking a private white-sand bay. Sleeping areas are swathed in local silks; baths are framed by traditional Asian archways; and large outdoor terraces have pillowed lounges with East Sea views. At the Citron restaurant, private dining booths appear to be suspended over the hills. Along with the elevated design aesthetic—which separates it from other luxe lodgings nearby—the hotel also houses the first three-Michelin-starred restaurant in Vietnam, Chef Michel Roux's La Maison 1888.